Down Cathedral

Down Cathedral stands on Cathedral Hill above the town of Downpatrick in Northern Ireland. It is the Church of Ireland cathedral for the Diocese of Down and Dromore, sharing the role with Dromore Cathedral. The hill overlooks the town, which only took the name Downpatrick in the 17th century. The site has been a place of worship since the end of the sixth century when St Fergus is recorded as the first bishop. Early buildings were wooden, and stone structures appeared by the tenth century. The cathedral is worth visiting for its layered history and surviving relics. St Malachy became bishop in 1124 and enlarged the cathedral before Sir John de Courcy’s arrival in 1177. De Courcy brought Benedictine monks but was later imprisoned on Good Friday 1204 after a fight in which he killed thirteen men. John Wesley preached here four times between 1778 and 1789, and a memorial stone marks his mission. The cathedral was restored in 1818 and again in 1985–87 after falling into ruin following the monastery’s dissolution in 1541. Visitors find a mainly 15th-century chancel with later additions, including a vestibule and tower. Inside is an 11th-century granite font once used as a watering trough. The cathedral grounds contain the reputed grave of St Patrick, marked by a 1900 granite stone. A replica high cross stands outside the east end, while the original 10th- or 11th-century cross is in Down County Museum. Two small stone crosses built into a wall show 12th-century carvings of monks holding books.